Lost A Sale but Will Never Lose My Pride

Signed-In Members Don't See This Ad
Z

ZCrafts

Member
Joined
Apr 17, 2010
Messages
19
Location
Lansford, ND
Just this past weekend I was working at an outdoor show that happened to have a parade during it. My familys both was set up facing the main road that the parade was to travel down. As the parade headed our way my father, a retired AF member, and myself, still active, steped out from behind our tables to to render proper curtisies to the VFW flag line and the Shiners flag and bagpipe group playing the national anthem. Right about this time a potential customer came up to our both and took intrest in my pens. To put it mildly this customer was more then rude to my mother, father and myself as we payed or respects to the flag of this great nation. After the flags passed I turned to the customer to answer any questions he had about the pens. At this time he told me in some untypeable words:eek::eek::eek: and that I should have given him my full attention instead of the flag line. It was then and there that I decided that I would let him have a piece of my mind by listing to him my 3 family members that have died during WWII, Vietnam, and Iraq definding his right of free speech and my right to tell him his bussiness was not welcome at our booth.
For the next half hour to hour I wondered if I had made the right choice. It was then that a member of that same VFW flag line that passed by earlier came up to my both thanked me for my service and bought a pen and special ordered an American flag inlay pen.
I try not to let anything take me from my customers but disrespect for me, my family, or our flag will not be tolerated at my booth. I may lose a sale or two over time but I will never lose my pride.
 

Attachments

  • jfk-salute.jpg
    jfk-salute.jpg
    68.8 KB · Views: 262
Signed-In Members Don't See This Ad
Travis...... According to some really sophicated marketing information that I was fortunate enough to be privy to...3% of the people that visit your business CANNOT be made HAPPY, EVEN with FREE PRODUCT and FREE SERVICE.

Thank GOD, Good Americans like you and your family were able to avoid one of your 3 % that all good vendors are burdoned with! Don't worry, they will seek you out in the future!

Congratulations on your "NO SALE", or should I say on dodging that bullet !
 
You make me wanna buy a pen from you!

I woulda done the same thing. And if the guy would have pressed his luck, I would have kicked him in the shin!!
 
The only part I don't get, is why you ever doubted yourself.
:highfive: :highfive: :highfive:
​
 
sefali said:
The only part I don't get, is why you ever doubted yourself.
:highfive: :highfive: :highfive:
​
Click to expand...

The only reason I doubted myself is that from the time of the incident untill the VFW member came up to the booth noone would come near us.
It is not like I doubted what I did it was more about how I did it.
 
RAdams said:
You make me wanna buy a pen from you!

I woulda done the same thing. And if the guy would have pressed his luck, I would have kicked him in the shin!!
Click to expand...

Kicking him in the shin would have been a mild thing to do. I must always remember to keep my temper in check since most of the time I am carrying a conceled firearm on me. Dont want anyone saying that I threatened to shot them.
 
As hard as it may have been at the time, it was by far the best decision you could have made. No one should be so disrespectful to our country, or to people who actually respect and defend our country. Good for you in standing up for what you believe in!
 
I hope the jerk walked away and thought about his actions. He owes you an apology. You were absolutely right!!:usflag:. Thank you and your family for your service.
 
Travis: You absolutely did the right thing and I for one stand 100% behind your decision. I also believe strongly in our 2nd amendment rights. That person must have a very shallow mind not to understand why you did not wait on him during the passing of the flag in the parade and I too would have bluntly explained the reasons for the freedoms that he as well as the rest of us Americans have because of the sacrifices of those who have defended this country before us. Well done.
 

Good on ya....I got mad reading your synopsis of what happened.
This is as bad as when I was in high school and just joined the military. Senior class last year, Every morning the school played the national anthem. Some little punk in the class from another country in the middle east area refused to stand with everyone else. The teacher ordered him to stand.
He said, I don't have to stand this is not my country, my country is better than this. I told him if he didn't like it here and didn't want to stand to paddle back to where he came from. Well long story short. I got suspended for 3 days because I showed him my opinion.

That guy at you're booth is ignorant.
Seeing as I recently just "retired" from the service I feel the same way as you. All my close family members served the the forces and I have friends currently deployed over to the big dirty.

I would of explained the same thing to that moron but added if you don't stand behind our troops STAND IN FRONT OF THEM.... Now get F away from my booth.
 
Hats off to you for your and your families service and loss for our country. and congratulations to you in your handling of this jerk. I probably would not have been near as nice as you were...Thank You
 
Losing a sale is more important in cases like this than losing your pride and sense of honor. Something good always comes of this as you also mentioned. Congrats on your honor and thanks for your service and your families. I too as a DAV would have done the same.
 
Last edited:
God Bless you! I am a Vietnam era vet and damn proud of it. There are some things that are sacred. Money is insignificant when it comes time to salute the flag, our troops and our country. I might not have been able to control my temper on this one. Good for you! I stand behind you 100%!
 
Thats a terrible story. I don't understand people. That was like when I returned to the US in uniform 40 years ago and someone threw a piece of food at me in the airport and called me a baby killer. Those people are just ignorant and don't deserve any attention. Thanks for your respect to the flag and the country and the military both past and present.
 
Right choice. Customer is not always right especially when they insist on disrespecting our values. You have to stand for something and what better than our country and our values?

I salute you.
:wink::wink::wink:
 
Travis your no sale was your best sale!!! My hats off to you for you actions . Now if we could instill some of that initive and thought process in some of our younger adults we would be sitting in tall cotton!!!!
 
That story brought tears to my eyes. You did the right thing and I will always support anyone who does the same as you did. Jesteś dobrym człowiekiem.
 
RAdams said:
You make me wanna buy a pen from you!

I woulda done the same thing. And if the guy would have pressed his luck, I would have kicked him in the shin!!
Click to expand...

Don't you have a plane to catch???

Yeah, those are the kind of people that you don't want to do business with. Would you really have wanted that person writing with one of YOUR pens!?
Sometimes in business, you have to be kind and courteous no matter what, but that was not one of those times. I agree with your decision.
 
I strongly dislike (politely stated because there are moderators) salesmen that will do any thing for a sale. A person with morals and that will stand for something (especially this country) is exactly the person I want to buy from!!! Thank you for the example to all who were close by!!!
 
Travis You did a good thing, I think my language might have gotten a bit hostile and provoked the customer, and if I were to kick him it certainly would not have been in his shin. (don't think Ron would have either)
 
Travis, Good on you for standing up for what you believe.

I started to post more, but it would likely get removed as I disagree with something someone else posted. So I'll just say that when I served, I served to protect the rights of everyone. Including those that choose to show disrespect. Freedom can't be one sided.
 
Signed-In Members Don't See This Ad
What you did was more honorable. I want to thank you for your service and paying respect to the flag, soldiers and what they mean is always important. I often go out of my way to thank a soldier in uniform, especially if I see them in an airport. Many people do not even care about this country enough to even say thanks.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom